It's Not Like The Books
by DarkBlackRoses
Summary: Lily Evans is under the impression that romance is just like it is in the books, and she won't settle until it is exactly that. James Potter is here to capture her heart and completely wipe away that fantasy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N – Hi! This is my first story, so please go easy on me. I apologise in advance for the slowness and shortness of this chapter, but it will get interesting very soon… So, without further ado, here's the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, everything here belongs to the wonderful mind that is J.K. Rowling. Only the storyline is mine.**

I dragged my suitcase through the crowds of students saying goodbye to their parents. I felt tears prickle in my eyes and hastily wiped them away with the back of my hand. My parents were already at work, probably doing something extremely boring. I felt a smile creep up, though, when I saw that black hair through the crowds of people. I hurried to catch up with him, only to be disappointed that he was already with his friends, the idiotic, infamous pranksters known as the Marauders. Why he even talks to them Merlin knows. Don't get me wrong, Remus and Peter were fine, most, if not all, of my hate of them was because of a certain James Potter. He is the most annoying, arrogant, self-obsessed bully I had ever met in my entire life. His partner in crime, Sirius Black, however, was an entirely different story in my opinion. He was quite smart, funny, charming and not to mention the most handsome guy at Hogwarts. Ignoring James completely, I run up to him.

"Hi Siri!" I smiled, falling in to stride beside him.

"Hiya beautiful" he grinned, slipping his arm around my waist and kissing the top of my head.

"How was your summer?" I had intended this as a light question, but as soon as the words came out of my mouth I felt dreadful. "Sorry!" I squeaked, horrified with myself. Merlin! I had only been speaking to him for 5 seconds and I'd already messed up. Imagine how shocked I was, then, when he just laughed.

"Why are you sorry? I loved my summer! I mean, apart from my family constantly going on about how 'Purebloods are not getting enough recognition nowadays' and 'Muggle Borns should be killed the second they're born'. But apart from that, I got six whole weeks to annoy the hell out of them!"

"Huh, sounds like you had a better summer than I had." I replied, laughing a little. Sirius winced and looked at me apologetically.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well my mum and dad were at work every day, leaving me alone with my sister and her whale of a boyfriend, Vernon. But other than that, no, my summer was absolute paradise." I grinned, pulling my luggage on to the train. When we'd all got on, we went on the hunt for an empty compartment. Luckily, we'd got here early and it wasn't too hard. We sat down and talked about our summers for a while until I checked my watch to see that it was 5 minutes until the train left.

"Well, I better go and find Alice. She should be here by now." I said, standing up and leaving the compartment. I had just stepped out and closed the door when out of the shadows came none other than Severus Snape. I felt those tears come back again, and I blinked them away, silently begging them not to fall.

"Lily, can we talk?" he whispered, a tiny glimmer of hope in his black, cold eyes.

"I don't think we can, Severus." I replied coldly, stepping around him and checking the other compartments.

"How many times will I have to say I'm sorry? It just-"

"Slipped out? It's too late, Sev. You obviously don't want to be friends with me anymore, since you called me…that. Now, do me a favour, and never talk to me again." I snapped, briskly walking down the corridor, checking the compartments as I went. I felt a horrible feeling welling up inside me, but I pushed it to one side, knowing that what he said was _not_ my fault. He'd chosen his path, and I'd chosen mine. We couldn't possibly be friends anymore. But I still felt bad for yelling at him. He was only trying to apologise…again. All these thoughts got pushed out of my head, however, when I looked through yet another compartment window and saw Alice sitting there. I opened the door and suddenly I was surrounded by three girls, all rapidly asking me how my summer was. I laughed and gently pushed them away so I could sit down next to Alice. Alice was quite short, with short black hair and dark eyes.

"So…are you looking forward to being Head Girl?" Marlene McKinnon said, trying, and failing, to hid a chuckle behind a hand. Marlene was tall, with curly, blonde hair and hazel eyes.

"Yes…why, shouldn't I be?" I asked cautiously, beginning to think that there was something they weren't telling me. This thought was confirmed when Emmeline Vance started laughing uncontrollably. She was mid-height, with long, natural, brown hair and dark blue eyes. I looked over at Alice, only to find she was shaking with the effort of trying to stifle a laugh.

"Alice…" I warned, glaring at her.

"You wouldn't happen to know who the head boy was, would you, Lily?" Emmeline sniggered.

"No…Do you?" I asked, immediately getting curious. The letter I had received from Dumbledore was very short, just explaining that I should go to the Head's Compartment when the train was halfway through its journey and that I would be staying in a separate dorm near the Head Boy's. It hadn't mentioned who the Head Boy actually was. Thinking this, I felt increasingly uncomfortable. What if it was a Slytherin? Worse, what if it was Potter? I refrained myself from laughing out loud at this. Potter? Head Boy? Dumbledore was many things, but he was _not_ insane. The girls had stopped laughing now, and I let the Head Boy topic slide, wanting it to be a surprise. You never know, it could be someone I actually liked. Maybe even Sirius. Ok, that would never happen, but still, a girl can dream, can't she? The time passed quickly, filled with us gossiping about everything and anything we thought of. But all the time my thoughts kept going back to who the Head Boy was. It had to be someone smart, someone who was popular with everyone, someone who could get through to everyone… but who could be that amazing? Finally, after what seemed like years of Alice and Marlene chatting endlessly about Amos Diggory, a handsome Ravenclaw in our year, the trolley came by, signalling that the train journey was at its half-way point. Practically jumping out of my chair, I ran through the door, before poking my head round it again.

"Oh, and save me a pumpkin pasty." I smiled at Alice, before sprinting off down the corridor.

I skidded to a halt in front of the door to the Head's Compartment. Taking a deep breath and telling myself that nobody was truly that bad as long as it wasn't Potter, I swung open the door and stepped inside…then almost died on the spot right there and then. There, sitting down with an amused expression, looking at my shocked and slightly frightened expression with one of those 'I-knew-you-were-going-to-look-like-that-and-it's-hilarious' smug look, was none other than James bloody Potter. Well, on the bright side, I thought, at least it's going to be an interesting year…

**A/N – Ok, I know this isn't the best chapter in the world, but it's going to get better, I swear. This was just that chapter where you get a first glimpse of the characters and stuff like that. But please review, constructive criticism is always welcome XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Well, here's the second chapter. Thank you to the person who reviewed, I'm hoping to get more reviews for this chapter, as it starts to get a little more interesting…slowly. I apologise for the long wait, but my FanFiction went glitchy on me. Anyway, if I stick to my plan, then the next chapters will be very interesting…This is just the run up XD. **

**Disclaimer: As I said before, only the storyline belongs to me. JK Rowling owns EVERYTHING else…except any OCs I introduce, but there won't be many of them. **

Potter? Really? How could Dumbledore be so stupid? This had to be some ridiculous prank, it just _had_ to be. I mean, fair enough, he had good grades, butso did half the other guys in the school. Why couldn't Amos Diggory have been head boy? I wouldn't have mind sharing a room with him…Oh God. I had to share a room with Potter. Suddenly, I felt the urge to jump out the window and run as far away as possible.

"What's wrong, Evans? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you weren't pleased to see me." James supressed the urge to grin and instead turned back to latest issue of the Daily Prophet, flicking through it until he reached the Quidditch pages at the back. I realised I hadn't moved yet. I sat down and gazed out of with window, my mind reeling with awful, awful thoughts. I had to calm down. OK, so I had to share a room with Potter, do rounds of the castle with him and go to meetings with him, but other than that, I could just ignore him like I usually do, right? I spent most of my time thinking along these lines until James woke me from my thoughts.

"I'm going to go and get changed. Try not to miss me too much." He grinned, getting up and leaving the compartment, presumably to go to the bathroom. I picked up the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, which he'd left on the seat, and started to flick through it. The first page was completely filled with a report on a Death Eater attack that had killed an entire family of muggles, the second a similar story and the same on the third. I put it down with a sigh. Would this ever end? There was a knock at the door and, without waiting for any reply, Sirius, Remus, Emmeline, Alice and Marlene filled into the compartment, all laughing and joking loudly. Peter, I noticed, was nowhere to be seen. Sirius practically jumped onto the seat next to me, knocking Alice to the ground with a thud. Ignoring Alice's glares, he smiled at me, but then frowned.

"Lils, shouldn't you be changed by now? We'll be arriving in," he looked down at his watch "2 minutes". Oh God.

"WHAT? AND YOU DIDN'T THINK OF TELLING ME EARLIER?" I screamed, grabbing my robes, that were already out of my trunk, and running out of the compartment and down the corridor, 'accidentally' elbowing a very confused Potter out of the way.

_Hogwarts looked as amazing as ever_, I thought, as I gazed out of the window in the carriages, on our way to the castle. Sirius had his arm around my waist, sitting next to me, and he was chatting animatedly about some stupid Quidditch team to James, who was sitting opposite with Remus, Peter, who had appeared just in time to get into a carriage, and Marlene. Emmeline and Alice were sitting on the other side of Sirius. We were all squashed together, although Sirius didn't seem to mind. I laughed as we passed the first years, looking terrified as the boats glided across the lake by themselves. Six years ago and that would have been me. That was a weird thought. I vaguely paid attention to the conversation, although most of my attention was taken up by Sirius, until we reached the steps that led to the school. As I walked up the steps, I realised something. This was the last time I would do this. This was the last time I would walk up these steps for a new year at Hogwarts.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore's voice boomed around the Great Hall.

"I hope you have a good time, but here are the rules, just in case anyone," he glanced purposefully at the Marauders, who grinned back at him, "needed clarification. As always the forbidden forest is out of bounds, please do _not_ cast spells at others in the corridors, first years are _not _to be supplied with their own broomsticks and only 3rd years and up can be granted permission to go to Hogsmeade. Anyone who breaks these rules _will_ be punished…Now, I think I have been speaking for long enough, and I know you are all only here for the feast, so enjoy!" And with that, countless plates of food appeared on the tables.

"You two are such pigs!" Marlene groaned, smacking James, who's mouth was full of food, on the back of the head and looking at Sirius in disgust.

"Hey! Quidditch tryouts are in a few weeks, and I need all the carbs I can get. Seeing as someone," Sirius turned to glare at James, "Won't even let his best mate onto the team if he doesn't reach his amazingly high standards."

"Oh, fine then, I'll let us lose to the Slytherins!" James smirked. Sirius opened his mouth to respond, then shut it again.

"Exactly." James grinned, triumphant.

"Well, I'm completely full. I'm off to the common room, anyone coming?" Emmeline asked, getting up to leave.

"Can't. Me and Evans have to go with Dumby and see the Head's Dorm." James said, and when he looked at me I swear I saw something flash into his eyes, but before I could tell what it was, it was gone.

"And this, Miss Evans and Mr Potter, is the Head's Dorm" Dumbledore declared, swinging open the door with a flourish. I stood in the door, speechless, as I took in the room around me.

**A/N – Ok, for some reason, I don't like this chapter for some reason, but I suppose the next chapters will more than make up for it. Anyway, remember to review, the more you review, the faster I update :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer – I **_**still **_**do not own anything here except the storyline. **

The room was a little smaller than the common room, as it was only meant for two people, and it was completely covered in red and gold. I guess this was because we were both in Gryffindor. There were bookcases on the far side, all filled with magical and muggle books alike and so many of them it looked like a miniature library, and three sofas surrounded the fireplace on each side. Countless rugs covered the floor and some French doors led out onto a small balcony, where a few magical plants were hanging. Two spiral staircases twisted upwards, one on either side of the room. I guessed these lead up to the bedrooms. A door on the far side of the room led into the bathroom. Well, here was another positive thing about being head girl, it was just a shame Potter was here to ruin it.

I was late coming out of Charms. Professor Slughorn had made me stay behind so he could talk to me. Apparently I had made it into this 'Slug Club' thing. It was for people who had outstanding skill or powerful connections. Anyway, I was running down a corridor when I heard it. Voices coming from inside an empty classroom. I instantly recognised one of them.

"Has he come to a decision yet?"

"No. But it won't be long now. He seems impressed by your skill in the Dark Arts."

"Well how long will it take? Lily…she…she knows-"

"What?"

"She knows I'm going to join. I-"

"Then she knows too much. Never mind, that, though. We'll take care of the little Mudblood."

I stood by the door, frozen, petrified. It was Snape. What were they talking about? I had a pretty good idea. I need to tell someone…Dumbledore. Yes, I'd just tell him and he'd sort the rest out. My head was spinning. I couldn't believe it. Of course, I knew he'd end up joining, but, now I actually heard him…he wasn't the boy I'd been best friends with this time a couple of years ago. He was already beyond saving. He was one of _them_ already, whether 'he', who I suspected to be Voldemort, had made an official decision or not. He was never going to be the boy I knew again. I felt hundreds of emotions at that moment. Guilty I had let it come to this. Scared of what was going to come. Betrayed by the boy I thought had been my friend. I was about to move when the door opened and three Slytherins, one of whom was Severus, stepping out.

"What the-? You." The Slytherin snarled, pulling out his wand. "How much did you hear, Mudblood?"

I felt sick. His wand was pointed at me and I knew he'd use it without me giving him any reason to anyway. By the time I'd pulled my wand out, he'd have sent a rather nasty curse in my direction. I could always make a run for it…

"Answer the question." The other snapped. I looked over their shoulders to see Severus. He hadn't spoken yet and he didn't make eye contact with me. There was a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite place. But I knew there was coldness in them. That was certain. And I knew it overpowered anything could I could see.

"Nothing! I-" I started, but I was interrupted by a flash of light shooting from the first Slytherin's wand, hitting my in the stomach. The pain rocketed through me. I just had enough time to see a tall, black haired boy come running down the corridor towards me before everything went black and my head hit the floor.

"Lily? Can you hear me?" A voice pierced through the blackness. I groaned trying to move my head. I couldn't. Pain flew done my neck and back. Slowly light filtered into my vision, and I could see, although it was a tad blurry, that I was lying down in a bed in the hospital wing, 5 figures sitting around me anxiously, looking at me, and a figure leaning over me.

"Here. Drink this." The standing figure said, handing me something in a cup and helping me sit up. I drank the awful tasting liquid quickly and found that I could now see the figures clearly. Marlene, Emmeline, Alice, Remus and Potter were sitting around me, all looking worried.

"Wha?…What happened?" I asked, my voice returning.

"Some Slytherin pricks sent a curse at you. Don't worry, though, James sorted 'em out." Remus grinned, looking at me and his fellow marauder, who was also grinning. I looked at James, my eyebrows raised. Had he…_helped _me? I must be dreaming. Maybe I was in a coma?

"Lils, I can't believe they did that to you." Marlene said angrily, obviously annoyed, "But Dumbledore's spoken to them. Or yelled at them, should I say. You could hear him from the Great Hall. He didn't sound happy. The guy who actually fired the spell is already gone. He's been expelled. And Snape," her nose wrinkled in disgust when she said his name, "and the other one have been suspended for a month a least. Apparently the spell was really horrible. You could be a lot worse off right now."

"Where's Sirius?" I asked, suddenly noticing he wasn't there. James and Remus shared a look, something that didn't go unnoticed on my part.

"Oh. He, erm…he's in detention." Remus replied, a little too hastily. He was lying. I could tell and apparently James realised that I was doubtful because he quickly changed the subject.

"You should have seen me Evans, the Slytherins didn't stand a chance." He grinned, flexing his incredible and amazing muscles. Wait? Did I just think that? I had to stop that. Merlin, I was turning into the stupid girls who worshiped him every minute of every day!

I vaguely paid attention to the conversation going on around me, but I was occupied with my own, troubled thoughts. Where was Sirius? Why was Remus lying to cover him? Something was going on, and I was in the dark about it. But I resolved then and there that I wouldn't be for long…

**A/N – So, any ideas where Sirius is? As soon as I get 5 reviews, I'll update. Not to much to ask, right? Next chapter will be very dramatic, promise. Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Thank you to my reviewers! I know I said 5, but I woke up this morning feeling generous. I think you're going to like this chapter, as it was pretty good fun to write. Just to let you know, I shall never give up on any story. I may occasionally not update for a while, but I'll never truly forget it. Well, on with the story. **

I didn't get the chance to investigate further into Sirius's disappearance until that weekend. He'd been acting like nothing had happened and I didn't want to ask him about it, don't ask me why. But I had this strange feeling in the back of my head that whatever Sirius was up to wasn't good. Not when Remus, who was the most honest person I knew, felt he had to lie to cover whatever he was doing up. I was right.

I found Remus in the library early Saturday morning, his head in a book, seeming completely oblivious to the world around him. I wish I could have done that. But every time I had tried to concentrate on something the Sirius thing had come back to the front of my mind and whatever it was that required my attention was suddenly unimportant as I once again tried to figure out, without success, what was going on.

"Remus? Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked cautiously, walking up to his table. I was always annoyed when someone interrupted me when I was reading quietly. Remus, however, just put his book to the side and looked up at me.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Well…erm…it's about…Sirius." I couldn't believe I was being this stupid. He'd probably just had a detention, like Remus had said. It was just me, being paranoid. He wasn't lying and Sirius wasn't up to anything. Now I was going to look so stupid. But I forced myself to come out with it anyway.

"Where was he when I was in the Hospital Wing?" I said in a hurry, unsure whether Remus had heard me clearly.

"Has this been bothering you all week?" he asked, surprised. I nodded weakly.

"Lily," he said, looking at me sternly, "Just let it go. It's really not worth bothering yourself over. He was in detention, like I said before, that's all." I sighed, thanking Remus quietly and leaving the library. I walked down the empty corridors; presumably everyone was outside, basking in the sun that had made a rare appearance. I was deep in thought. I still had a feeling inside me that Remus was lying to me again. There was just something in his eyes that didn't show honesty. But maybe it was just me. I decided to try and catch up on my homework whilst my mind was still reassured by Remus's response and hadn't yet worked out any ridiculous theories as to what Sirius had been doing if Remus really was lying. I went back to the Head's Dorm and felt my mood sink when I saw Potter sitting there, already doing his homework on his desk in the far corner, opposite mine. That struck me as odd straight away. Why was he, the most popular guy in this school, spending a beautiful day inside, doing his homework? Didn't he have friends to hang out with and smart kids to bribe to do his homework? He looked up when he heard someone come in and I was sure his face lit up just a little when he saw it was me, but then he put his head back down again and his messy black hair covered his face enough so that I couldn't see him clearly. I dismissed it and grabbed by books for the bookshelf they were perched on. Ok, so Charms didn't have to be in until Wednesday, so that could wait a while, but Transfiguration, I silently groaned, had to be on Monday. That was my priority. It was an essay on Animagi, a topic I well and truly did not understand that well. Brilliant. I set about working, Potter completely ignoring me, like I wasn't even there.

He only acknowledged me after I threw my 6th piece of crumpled parchment at the wall behind him in frustration. I was absolutely crap at this topic.

"Evans, are you aiming for my head on purpose just to annoy me or do you need help?" he asked, although he didn't seem irritated.

"Help." I replied, although I wondered why I had just asked Potter for help, even though he did offer…sort of. He grinned, abandoning his homework and coming round to join me.

"Why are you so happy?" I asked mockingly

"I never thought Lily Evans, the smart, boring bitch who was amazing at everything, would ever ask me, James Potter, for help." He replied, trying to keep his face straight, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him as the curled up in a smile a little.

"Oh ha ha." I replied, rolling my eyes. His face split into a grin when he saw what it was I was doing.

"One of my many areas of expertise." He grinned, almost smugly. He began explaining the topic in even more detail than McGonagall had. He was surprisingly good at tutoring. Maybe I should throw paper near his head when I don't get something more often.

I'd just finished my essay, with Potter's help, when I thought of something.

"Potter, you're good friends with Sirius, aren't you?" I asked, trying desperately to sound casual.

"Wow! I cannot believe you realised that, Evans! Really, you're so smart! Have a biscuit!" He replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm. I rolled my eyes at this but otherwise ignored it. Now was not the time to get into a big argument with Potter.

"Well, I want to ask you something. Where was he when I was in the Hospital Wing? And don't even bother saying he was in detention because I know that is not true." I said, looking at him. I'd never noticed it before, but his eyes were absolutely amazing. Wait…what did I just say? Stop it, I told myself. You like Sirius, not Potter! Merlin!

"Look, Evans, I'm guessing you've already spoken to Remus about this and you haven't accepted his answer. He's told you that Sirius was in detention, right? Well, you won't accept my answer either, because it's exactly the same. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have homework to do." He walked back over to his desk and carried on with his work, not looking at me again. That was…odd" I dismissed it and turned back to the case at hand. What Sirius had really been doing. Now this was getting frustrating. But at least I knew something now. Sirius had most definitely _not_ been in detention. Potter was a good liar, I'll give him that, but he wasn't good enough to fool me. He had the same glint in his eye when he told me Sirius had been in detention that Remus had. They were both lying. There was only one way I was going to find out the truth. I was just going to have to ask Sirius.

I found him outside by the Black Lake, messing around with some other 7th years. That struck me as odd straight away. Why wasn't he with his fellow Marauders? He was always with them. Not only were they his partners in crime, or pranking, rather, but they were the best mates he had. It looked to me like they were his brothers in a way, especially Potter, whether I liked it or not. There were some random girls grinning seductively, giggling and batting their eyelids in his direction, but I gave them my infamous dagger eyes and they scowled at me, then turned on their heels, flipped their hair and stalked off.

"Um…Sirius?" I asked as he started wrestling with a handsome Hufflepuff. He looked up when he saw me and pushed the guy off.

"Hey Lils. Erm, what are you doing here?" he asked, and I could swear he seemed nervous all of a sudden. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up a little, but for some reason I began thinking how cute James looked when he did that…Snap out of it, Lily! You _don't_ like him. You will _never _like him. Never.

"I came to ask you something." Nerves were building inside me, put I pushed them down with force. This was _not_ the time to be nervous.

"Oh. Sure." He got up and walked over to me, pulling me just out of earshot of his friends, who were now seeing who could throw who furthest into the Black Lake. He laughed and shook his head fondly, then turned to me. Ok, Lily, you can do this. Just come out with it.

"Where were you when I was in Hospital?" I asked, my words tumbling out of my mouth, barely having time to form on my tongue. Sirius frowned, but carried on ruffling his hair. Yes, I wasn't just imagining it. He _was _nervous. I frowned at that. Why would he have any reason to be nervous? Oh Merlin. He hadn't…he wouldn't. It was just my over-active imagination again. But I still felt scared of what his answer was going to be. I was silently praying that he wouldn't have done what I'd thought he'd done. He must have seen in my eyes what I was thinking, and he sighed, ruffling his hair even more.

"I guess you realised I wasn't in detention, right?" He asked, pulling me a little further away from the group of seventh years. I just nodded, not trusting me voice.

"Before I say anything else, I want you to know this Lily: I am so sorry. It was a mistake, ok? I swear it won't happen again. Promise me you won't get angry." He said, looking deeply into my eyes, but I close them, hiding the tears that were threatening to fall, and nod my head meekly. A new batch of fear was rising up, and this time I didn't push them back. He could have been doing what I think he was doing. He sounded like he had.

"I…I was in Hogsmeade." He whispered. I looked up at him, my eyes wet with the tears that I was holding back. There was still a chance I was wrong, that he had just been buying something. But I knew deep down that I was right. I just had to hear him say it before the tears would be allowed to fall.

"That's not all of it, is it?" I say, my voice just as quiet as his. I'm silently begging him to nod his head, tell me that he really was just buying something for a friend. But he doesn't nod his head. He shakes it. It was clear to me what he had done, but I still needed to hear him say it. I had to be certain.

"Who were you with, Sirius? What were you doing there?" I'm surprised he heard me. The tears are overwhelming now, but I decided something. He wasn't worth my tears. He wasn't worth anything. Not after what he'd gone and done.

"I was..." he mumbles something that I can't quite catch.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I was on a date…with Candy…from Ravenclaw. Look, Lily I am so sorry. Please. "I felt a mixture of emotion surge through me. But the strongest? Anger. Anger at Sirius, for dong such a thing whilst I was in the Hospital Wing, anger at Candy, the slut, for letting him do it, but, most of all, anger at myself. I'd let him get away with flirting before, thinking it was just harmless fun. But I should have seen it coming. I was just setting myself up for the fall by not ending it there and then.

"It's over." I turn my back on Sirius and head back into the castle. I didn't turn back. I wasn't going to let him see the tears, which I hated so much, fall.

**A/N – Ah, I love this chapter. It'd definitely my favourite so far. Tell me what you think by leaving a review ;) Let's go for…7 reviews, then I'll update. Like I said, I'm feeling generous. What do you want to happen next? Tell me, and I may be able to include it. The next chapter may not be all that exciting, but we shall see. I may give you a long one and include a very exciting point in the story. We shall see. I'll be more likely it do it if you review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N – Thank you to my reviewers! You make my day, really. I know I said 7, but I really couldn't wait to get this chapter out there. I'm pretty proud of it. That being said, I'm not really much for the start of this chapter, but there isn't a real way around it as it's an important bit, so I hope I've made up for it at the end. I think you'll like that bit XD. So, here is chapter…5!**

Life at school was going quite normally now. Except that I was completely ignoring Sirius and anytime we were alone together I quickly made up an excuse to leave. That, and the fact that I was now finding that Potter's company was slowly beginning to become…bearable? I don't completely enjoy our time together, but I don't try and avoid it as much as I used to. I still find his stupid remarks a little annoying, although he doesn't often say them anymore, and I'm not on a first name basis with him, but I feel our relationship is slowly improving. Not that I'd tell him that. I wouldn't say that we are friends exactly, but were not complete enemies anymore. It was four weeks after my break up with Sirius. I was still angry with him, and he seemed to be avoiding his fellow Marauders whenever possible. I began wondering if they'd had a falling out. I decided to ask Potter about it the next tutor session we had together. That was another thing that had changed. He was tutoring me in transfiguration now. Just a couple of times a month, when I needed a lot of help with it. He was surprisingly good. No annoying side comments, just helpfulness, something I didn't think he was capable of. I'd asked him if he'd ever considered teaching when we'd first started meeting in the library. He'd laughed and said it was way too boring. He wanted to be an Auror. That surprised me. It seemed that we did have something in common after all. Maybe I really could be friends with Potter…

"And the incantation for the Vanishing Spell is?" Potter prompted.

"Um…Oh, _Evanesco_!" I answer. Potter grinned and nodded, standing up and beginning to put his notes and books back into his bag. We were sitting by a table in the library in another tutor session.

"Why do you even take Transfiguration if you're no good at it?" He questioned me suddenly, looking down at me.

"I'm not that bad!" I am way too defensive. I sigh, putting my things away. "I want to be an Auror when I leave. I need high marks if I'm going to qualify for it, but unlike someone, I have to work hard to get my results." I've finished packing up, and so has he. I decided that now is the best time to ask.

"Potter...I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm intruding, but…have you and Sirius fallen out?" Something flashes in his eyes and he sits back down, gesturing for me to do the same. He looked a little surprised that I'd said that.

"Yes. We have. How did you know?"

"I think everyone suspects something, Potter. You haven't spoken to him for days."

"Neither has Remus. Listen, Lily, don't tell anyone I've told you this. Me, Remus and Sirius, we've already agreed that we won't say anything to anyone. It's between us, no one anyone else. But, I think you have a right to know."

"Oh for Merlin's sake, James, just get on with it!"

"Ok, ok. We started to argue just before you broke up with him. In fact, it was just before you ended up in the Hospital Wing." I nodded. I could see where this was going. "It was because of, well...what he…did. Me and Remus, we thought you deserved to know, but we'd already promised Sirius that we wouldn't say a word to anyone, let alone you. He was our best mate, Lily, but we couldn't believe he'd done that. He was being stupid. Anyway, we told him we felt bad about keeping it from you and said we might have to tell you. He got angry with us and then...How much did he tell you?"

"Only that he'd been on a date with Candy in Hogsmeade whilst I'd been in the Hospital Wing."

"Did he tell you how many times?" I felt my stomach drop. He'd done it more than once?

"No. How many times did he…" I trailed off. Despite myself, I felt the little bit of love I still felt for Sirius disappear.

"He told us that he'd been on four. But he didn't tell us about all of them, I'm sure of it. I'm so sorry, Lily."

"Don't apologize. It's his fault, not yours."

"We should have told you. But at least the truths come out now, anyway. Not to cast him in a bad light or anything, but he'd got what he deserves. He's a good guy most of the time, but sometimes he can be a bit of a-"

"Prick?" I offered. He grinned and nodded at me. He stood up, signaling the end of the conversation, and he began to walk away. "Oh, and Potter?" He turned to face me. "Thanks. Maybe you're not the complete idiot I thought you were." He smiled, then turned back and began walking towards the exit again. I waited for a few minutes, then followed him out.

I was late out of Potions. _Again_. This time it was Slughorn inviting me to the Slug Club Christmas Party. I'd accepted, of course. Not that I was the teacher's pet or anything, but it always helped to get as many teachers on my good side as possible. I was running down the empty corridors to Charms, my red hair flying out behind me. Someone barged into me, running into me as they came charging down the corridor I was passing by. I was knocked to the floor, although I wasn't hurt that much.

"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry!" I recognized the voice and looked up. "Oh, hey Lily." James smiled, running his fingers through his black hair. I'd realized a few days ago that he'd started using my first name as we'd started to become friends. Well, I thought, it's only polite if I start doing the same. He offered me his hand to help me up and I gratefully took it. He pulled me up without showing any effort, like he was picking up a feather. All that Quiditch practice must come in handy. Despite myself, I found myself staring at his incredible muscles…

"See something you like?" He said with a sly grin. I rolled my eyes then froze as I heard footsteps and voices drifting down the corridor, coming our way. James must have heard them to, as he grabbed my hand and hastily pulled me behind a nearby tapestry.

"What are you –" He interrupted me, clapping a hand over my mouth. He removed it when I didn't try and talk again. He put a finger to his lips, signaling that I should be quiet. The voices got louder and the footsteps closer and I knew I recognized them. There were three of them, and I recognized all of them. They were all from Slytherin. One of them I knew was a Prefect, and I had recently given the other two detentions for sending a first year to search for something right by the Whomping Willow. Idiots. They appeared to have learned from the last time I overheard them, as their voices, although loud and recognizable, had been changed, so that any eavesdroppers couldn't understand what they were saying. I had to give them credit for that. It was very clever and the spell itself required a lot of skill. They passed us and the footsteps and voices slowly got quieter until they faded away completely. Neither James nor I made any attempt to move. I suddenly realized how close we were. My heart started beating so loudly that I was sure he could hear it. I found myself leaning closer to him, smiling at the warmth that he gave off. He leaned in closer as well. My head was warning me to stop before it was too late, before I did something I'd regret, but I ignored it, leaning closer still, until there was no space in between us. I tilted my head up, and he bent his down. Our lips were inches apart, getting closer every second. My breath got caught in my throat…Then laughter came from down the corridors and we broke apart, embarrassed. I shakily stepped out from behind the tapestry, checking the corridor was clear. Then, before James could stop me, I ran down it, my mind racing with thoughts about what had just happened. But the one thought that bothered me the most was that I'd actually wanted it to happen. I regretted pulling away. I actually had a crush on James Potter.

**A/N – Aww. Lily has a little crush on James. Isn't that cute? I wish I could make it so that they kiss and then they go out with each other, but, no, that's way too easy. There are a lot more twists and turns coming. Plus, that would make for a very boring story. Let's say...9 reviews? Then I'll update. I mean it this time :). So go review and tell me what you think if you want to carry on with this story! ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N – Hey! Sorry for my late update, I've been **_**very **_**busy this week. But it's all over now, so faster updates! Thank you to my reviewers! Thank you to 'liz' and 'georgie' for the tips on how to improve. I hope the next few chapters are an improvement :). So, here's the sixth chapter!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would **_**not **_**be writing fan fictions about it, would I? **

I was trying to push my feelings for James away, trying to convince myself that I'd just felt confused, and my feeling had not been because I had a crush on James. I'd been avoiding him all week successfully, but a little voice in the back of my head kept telling me that I'd have to speak to him sooner or later. I ignored it. And, to my surprise, it worked. Until Tuesday morning came and brought with it Potions class.

"Right, class, I'm going to be putting you into pairs today, so...Alice Prewett, Remus Lupin," Slughorn began. Alice screamed "Yessss!" and pounded a fist in the air, "Yes, Miss Prewett, indeed. Now, Marlene McKinnon, Sirius Black," Alice groaned, picking up her books and moving over to the seat next to Sirius, who was grinning slyly. I smiled at her sympathetically, turning back to Slughorn. "Emmeline Vance, Peter Pettigrew" I ended up being last, and I couldn't believe who was the only other person left. James. Just my luck. I moved over to his desk and ignored his questioning look, getting the ingredients and placing them on the desk. This was going to be awkward...

He didn't bring up the…'incident' until the end of the lesson. I presumed this was because everyone was too busy talking to listen in on our conversation. He suddenly looked up from the cauldron, which was currently holding what looked like a perfect batch of Dogbane potion.

"Lily, what are you thinking?"

"About what?" I asked, trying to look casual and distracted by the _Advanced Potion Making_ textbook, which was very hard, considering it was one of the most boring books ever made.

"The kiss." I was amazed how calm he could be about such a subject.

"You mean the almost kiss." I corrected him, still looking at the textbook.

"Close enough. Now answer the question!" And I was about to answer it…when the bell rang. I packed up my books in a hurry, then picked up my bag and exited the classroom, shouting over my shoulder at him.

"Sorry, tell you later!"

Luckily, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher did not put us into pairs, thank Merlin. In fact, everything was going perfectly well. And it continued to go well, at least on my part, for the rest of the day. But I got the impression James's wasn't too impressed by what happened at dinner that evening…

"Hey, Lily, can I ask you something?" Frank Longbottom asked, coming over to my table, where I was sitting with Remus, James, Sirius, who I was still ignoring, Peter, Marlene, Emmeline and Alice. Me and the girls all shared 'The Look'. It was something we did when we thought something was going to happen. Something to do with a boy. It was stupid really, but we'd been doing it since second year and now it was a habit. I turned to face him and smiled at him. He looked nervous.

"Sure. Go ahead." I prompted

"Um, can we go somewhere a bit more…private?" Sirius raised an eyebrow at him and grinned.

"Why Frank, what exactly are you planning to do with Lily here?" I shot daggers at him and the fellow Marauders, who were all trying to stifle a laugh as Frank's face reddened. All, I noticed, except James, who also glared at him.

"No, no, I didn't mean – " Frank stuttered

"Oh, relax, Frankie, it's all good. Just have her home by eleven," Sirius laughed, then looked at me, "Off you go." I frowned. His feelings for me had quickly diminished. Although I really couldn't care less what he did anymore. I shrugged it off, then stood up and followed Frank out of the Great Hall, into the Entrance Hall, which was deserted.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" I encouraged.

"Oh, yeah, I um…was wondering...well, Hogsmeade weekend is coming up, and I was just thinking…maybe you could…um…"

"Go with you?" I smiled.

"Yeah, that." He nodded eagerly, relieved.

"Sure. I'd love to go with you." _I'd also love to go with James_, I thought, although I pushed this thought to the back of my head with force. I had to get over this. It was pathetic. James, of all people, was not a person I would have those feelings for. Friends? Maybe. More than that? Definitely _not. _

"Great. I'll meet you here at nine?" He asked, his nervousness gone. I nodded, then walked back into the Great Hall with him.

"I'll see you later, Lils." He grinned, walking back over to his table. I grinned back, then walked back to mine. All the girls looked at me expectantly, and I just nodded. They all went into a fit of squeals, while the boys all looked utterly confused. I smiled. Frank Longbottom…not bad, Lily, not bad at all…

It took him two days to figure it out.

"So, I hear your going to Hogsmeade with Frank." He said, trying to sound as casual as possible, although I was sure I could detect a faint trace of jealously in his voice. It must just be my mind, playing tricks on me, I thought, shaking my head. We were back in Potions, and Slughorn had told us that the pairs we had worked in whilst making the Dogbane Potion, I noticed Sirius grimace at the memory of this, were now going to be permanent for the rest of the year. Just my luck.

"Yeah. It's going to be awesome." I smiled awkwardly, trying to come up with something to change the subject.

"Yeah." He mumbled.

"Who are you going with?"

"Me? Oh, I haven't got a date yet." I tried to ignore the way my stomach dropped when he said yet.

"Oh." I finished dumbly.

"I was thinking about asking this girl, but I don't think I should. What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should go for it anyway. It can never hurt to try." I tried not to get excited. He was talking about me! James Potter, who was a guy who could ask any girl in the school, wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me! Stop it, Lily, you're going with Frank.

"Ok, thanks. I will. In fact, I'll do it now." The excitement bubbled up inside me, despite my attempts to push it down.

"Hey, Alexis, will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" He yelled across the room. To my utter confusion, I felt my whole world collapse. It was then I realised that my crush on James Potter was bigger than I ever thought it was. A lot bigger.

**A/N – Sorry if there are any mistakes in this chapter. I want to get it up now and I have to go out RIGHT NOW. So please point out any mistakes I've made, and I'll edit them out later. Thanks. As for reviews, let's go for…12. A nice, even number. So go review, and I'll update!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N – Thank you to my reviewers! Thanks in particular to Lenners for the advice, I won't be doing it anymore. Well, here's the seventh chapter!**

**Disclaimer – I only own the storyline and the OCs. Everything else belongs to J.K Rowling. **

I was still going to Hogsmeade with Frank. I may not like him as much as James, but it would be cruel to tell him I wasn't going to go with him. Me, Alice, Marlene and Emmeline are all crowded round the mirror in their dorm, Alice trying to fix my hair for the fifth time that morning.

"For Merlin's sake, Lily, keep still!" She snapped, trying to straighten my hair.

"Alice, it's just Hogsmeade." I moan, trying to pull away. I _hated_ my hair straight.

"Yes, but it's Frank Longbottom, Lily. He's like, the third most wanted guy in Hogwarts. After Sirius and James, of course." I tried to ignore how my mood dropped when I hear James's name. He'd been hanging around with that Alexis girl all week. I just didn't get what he saw in her. She just seemed so…different than what I thought James liked in a girl. Merlin. I was jealous over James. James, who I'd hated at the start of this year. James, who was the hottest guy I'd ever seen…

"Done!" Alice cried triumphantly, "Now was that so hard?" I glared at her, then grabbed my sweater of my old bed and made for the door. I was stopped, however, when Marlene stepped in front of me, grinning slyly.

"Not so fast." She locked the door

"Yeah. We still have," Emmeline looked at her watch, "20 minutes before you have to meet Frank. That's plenty of time."

"Plenty of time for what?" I knew where this was going. I was just praying I was wrong.

"Makeup." Alice grinned, pulling the dreaded cosmetics bag out of her trunk. I groaned.

"Sorry, Lils, but you're outnumbered. Now, I'd wipe that look of your face, or we'll be forced to use eyeliner." I whimpered, coming to sit down on Alice's bed, where she was arranging her vast collection of makeup.

15 minutes later, and was covered in makeup. I detested it. I didn't want to look in the mirror, for fear I'd look like…well, Alexis. But, to my surprise, it actually looked…good.

"There, you see. We told you it would be fine. Now Frank won't be able to take his eyes of you," Alice smiled, coming up behind me. "Now, I do believe you have an amazingly fit guy to meet." I finished scrutinizing my makeup and went down to the common room. Sirius, James, Peter and Remus were sitting in the corner. Sirius's jaw dropped when he saw me and – to my delight – so did James's.

"Oi, Lily, what happened to you?" Sirius yelled across the common room. A few curious heads turned my way. I just smilied, then exited through the portrait hole.

"So, where do you want to go next?" Frank asked me, smiling. He had been all day. He was perfect. Smart, handsome, funny, kind, friendly…then why did I desperately want to be holding another guy's hand?

"I don't mind. The Three Broomsticks?" I replied, not really paying attention. He frowned, but nodded, walking with me towards the pub. He opened the door for me and I smiled as the warm air greeted me.

"I'll go and order. What would you like?"

"Butterbeer, please." I walked towards a booth and sat down, then froze when I saw who was sitting opposite. James and Alexis were sitting down drinking what looked like Firewhisky. Well, they were when their lips were pushed against each other's. I looked down, tears pricking in my eyes. Why did he have such a big effect on me? Yes, I'd almost kissed him, but the operative word was _almost_. He could kiss who we wants to kiss, it wasn't like he needed my permission to. But the feeling of…jealousy? Still hung over me, turning my mood sour. I was still daydreaming about what it would be like to be where Alexis was now when Frank came back with the drinks.

"Are you ok?" He asked, looking at my grim expression.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine." I gave a fake smile, then looked back down at my drink.

"…So I was thinking of trying the Double Eight Loop this season. You know, standards getting higher and all."

"Yeah. You should do that." I said, not really bothered that much. I'd never really taken to the sport that much, although I would occasionally go and watch a game. I was still watching James and Alexis. Frank followed my gaze and frowned.

"It's disgusting, isn't it? Doing that in public? It's enough to put me off my drink." I nodded, still looking.

"Lily…are they bothering you? I can ask them to stop if you want."

"No, no, it's fine. In fact, maybe we should go. I've finished my drink."

"Alright. I'll go pay." He got up and went back to the bar. I sighed, picking up my jacket and heading over to the bar where Frank was handing over the money.

"Hey, I can pay for my drink, at least."

"No, I'll pay. I insist." Frank smiled, pocketing the change and leading me out. Little did I know that James's eyes were watching me the whole time.

"Look, I had a great time today, Lils. Maybe we could go again next time?" Frank asked hopefully as we entered the Entrance Hall. Most of the students were still at Hogsmeade and it appeared deserted.

"Oh, yeah, I'd like that." I said, still thinking about James and Alexis.

"Awesome." He grinned. Merlin, did he ever stop smiling! It may sound stupid, but it was getting _very _annoying. It was like the only emotion he knew was happiness. He was just too…uh, I don't know. He was everything I wanted yet I found his company, frankly, quite boring. I decided to sleep on it and headed up to the Head's Dorm.

I found breakfast a disgusting affair when I had to look at Sirius and James shoving food into their mouths. I did not need Alexis there to make the experience any more sickening. Unfortunately, she was there.

"And then Jamie asked me to be his girlfriend! Isn't that great?" She giggled for the 10th time.

"Yes, Alexis. It's great. And you know what else is great? The possibility that you'll shut up for 5 seconds." Sirius snapped, glaring at her. I hated to admit it, but I actually agreed with him. She was an airhead through and through. It was a wonder how she had managed to find her way to the Great Hall that morning.

"Oi! Sirius! What the hell? Since when do you talk to people like that?" James glared.

"Since the day you decided that your type had changed to bottle-blonde bimbos!" He stood up and stormed out of the hall, the room falling silent.

"Well! He's a little rude!" Alexis smiled in an annoyingly high voice. I groaned, then looked at James.

"You know, he's right." I said, then followed Sirius out. Someone would have to calm him down, and I didn't see anyone else volunteering. I looked back to see James looking at me with an unfamiliar look in his eyes. Alice, Emmeline, Marlene and Remus were all following me out. In fact, even Peter was! Maybe they were all just as annoyed as I was. But one thing was for certain. I'd felt a strange feeling when I'd seen Alexis and James kissing. Jealousy. And I was sure you couldn't get that level of jealousy from a simple crush. No. In a matter of weeks, I, Lily Evans, had fallen head over heels for James Potter.

**A/N – I don't particularly like the ending to this chapter. In fact, I'm not much for any of it. But it had to be done to set up the next chapter. So tell me what you think by reviewing ;). **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N – I apologise profoundly for how long this chapter has taken. I won't go into detail about why I couldn't update, because that would be boring. So here is the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer – I do not own ANYTHING here except the OCs and the storyline. **

"Sirius?" I stepped through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. He was sitting next to the window, glaring at the wall with his fists clenched. He didn't look at me as I came in. I went over to him and sat opposite.

"Thanks." I whispered, looking at him.

"What?" He looked at me, as if he'd only just noticed I was there.

"For saying that. It was getting sickening…seeing them snogging when you're trying to eat, I mean." He smiled at that.

"Yeah, it was. I don't know why James is even with Alexis, it's obvious he likes you." He said carelessly.

"What?" I was shocked. He did like me? Then why was he with Alexis? Was Sirius lying? The questions raced around my mind. But I concentrated on recognising the feeling that had suddenly sprung up inside me. Was that…relief?

"You haven't noticed? Merlin, where have you been? Under a rock or something?" He chucked, then turned back and looked at the wall. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. At that moment, the rest of the Marauders, excluding James, and my friends tumbled into the common room, falling onto the floor as they tried to get through the portrait hole all at once.

"What on earth are you doing?" I grumbled, irritated that I hadn't been able to ask Sirius about what he'd said.

"Well, I was trying to get through the portrait hole sensibly, and then the next thing I know-" Remus started, getting up from the top of the pile and dusting himself off.

"THEY ALL PUSHED ME!" Marlene interrupted, glaring at the rest of them and pointing her finger accusingly.

"Of course we did, Mars. Sorry. " Alice smiled, getting up. Alice was always the one to try and make peace. Emmeline, however, turned to glare at her. Alice smiled and shook her head whilst Marlene was busy moaning at poor Remus and Peter.

"I KNOW! LET'S PLAY POWER HOUR!" Sirius suddenly shouted, his mood suddenly improving. Remus and Peter groaned, whilst me, Alice, Marlene and Emmeline looked at each, confused.

"What's Power Hour?" Marlene asked, cautious. Sirius was known for his love of drinking games. He looked at her like she was an idiot.

"What's Power Hour! What's Power Hour? Only the most amazing drinking game ever!"

"What makes it so amazing?" Alice asked, beginning to feel uneasy. Sirius grinned.

"You have very slim chances of being sober at the end. Now, wait here, whilst I go and get my most prized possessions!" He darted up the stairs.

"Most prized posessions?" I asked incredulously "Please don't tell me he means –"

"Here they are!" He called, appearing at the top of the stairs, countless firewhiskey bottles in his arms. "Now, I reallllllyyyyy don't think we should be playing this game when the first-years start coming back, so off we go to the heads dorm!" And with that, he skipped down the stairs and out the portrait hole.

"We really should follow him, you know, last time he ended up with glass everywhere when he tripped up on a step."

_2 hours later…_

I gazed around me from my position on the floor, giggling. Remus was dancing wildly with Sirius on James's desk, truly believing they were amazing at Hip-Hop Dancing. They really weren't. Marlene was already snoring loudly on the floor near the drinks table, her glass where she had left it when she had gone to pour another before passing out. Peter had slipped away a while before we'd all started going downhill, much to Sirius's dismay. Alice was in the toilet, throwing up, presumably. Emmeline…wait, where was Emmeline? She must have left. I staggered to my feet and wandered over to the window. The grounds were empty, the Giant Squid was just visible, quietly poking out from the murky depths of the lake. Suddenly, the portrait hole swung open and James stepped through, helping Emily to walk.

"You know, I reaaaalllllyyyyyy think dat you and Lilykins w-w-would make a gweat couple!"

"OK, Emmeline, sure." He laid her down on a free sofa, then dragged Marlene onto another.

"Where's Alice?" He asked me. I pointed to the toilet. He went over to the door.

"Wait! I'm scared to be alone!" I yelled.

"What? Sirius and Remus are here." He said, exasperated. I pouted and gave him my best puppy-dog eyes. He sighed.

"Fine. Now go and sit on the sofa." I bounced onto the sofa, still grinning.

"How many bottles have you had?"

"Only…fwour!" He raised an eyebrow.

"Four?"

"Or five…six, maybe…"

"Oh, Lily, come on! Why on earth did you have six bottles?"

"Hey, d-don't cwiticise! Your da one whos dating...A-A-Alexis!"

"There's nothing wrong with Alexis!" he snapped defensively.

"Bimbo…"I muttered under my breath. He must have heard, because his face grew darker.

"And since when did you take any interest in who I date, may I ask?"

"Since Sirius said you liked me!" I shouted "And since I liked you…" I whispered. I looked at him, and I think he heard that, too, because I didn't need to be even remotely sober to see the emotions that spread over his handsome features. James Potter really did like me, Lily Evans.

**A/N – I know, this chapter sucks, especially considering it's taken me so long to get round to doing it and it's sooo short. I couldn't find a good way to write it, but this way should open up some interesting options later…Anyway, tell me what you think by reviewing and remember, constructive criticism is always welcome. I swear the next chapter will be longer, more interesting and sooner. :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N – Ok, I SWEAR I thought I'd updated this before now! Promise! Anyway, I think I've let you wait long enough, so thank you to my reviewers, and here is the ninth chapter, finally. **

**DISCLAIMER – I do not own anything here except the stuff you don't recognise. If I did, I would now be rolling in money right now. **

It was two days after I'd told James I liked him and I still hadn't heard from him. In fact, he'd completely ignored me. I kept telling myself I was being stupid and I should move on from that bullying, arrogant prat, but I just couldn't. No matter how much I tried to convince myself I still hated him just like this time last year, I kept coming back to one disturbing thought: He likes me too. And when I thought that I got the unmistakable sense of my stomach doing a flip. But I was already growing increasingly nervous that he actually did like me back, and I had just been too drunk to actually make an accurate judgment on whether he liked me or not. And judging by the way he was acting right now, I'd say not. He's sitting on the Hufflepuff table with Alexis and her friends. He said something and they all laughed. So much so, that Alexis felt the need to learn on to him to stop herself from falling off the bench. I rolled my eyes at this, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy I felt. Why couldn't that be me? I turned back to my breakfast, to find it had all disappeared.

"What the…" I trailed off as my eyes rested on Sirius, who's plate was still untouched, yet he was happily munching on a mouthful of food. Noticing my death stares, he grinned.

"Sorry, Lilykins, I never like seeing good food go to waste."

"1. It wasn't going to waste and 2. Please wait until you've finished eating to begin talking." I said through gritted teeth.

"It was going cold. That's good enough for me! Oh and by the way, James wants to speak to you later. He says it's 'urgent'. He put air quotes around the word urgent. I felt my stomach flip once again. So he hadn't completely forgotten about me, then. That was a good sign, right?

The walk from Charms back to the heads dorm was a long one. I was trying to rehearse what I was going to say. If he told me he didn't like me, it was pretty straightforward. I'd just say I was joking, and we'd leave it at that. We'd go back to being friends and I would get over him. Simple. If he told me he liked me…well, that was another story all together. I mean, what about Alexis? He couldn't like me. Not when he was with her. I stepped through the portrait hole to find James already waiting, sitting silently, staring at the fire. He looked up at me and I suddenly began dreading what was coming. He had that look that said 'Thanks, but no thanks'.

"Lily, hey. I was beginning to wonder whether Sirius had forgotten to tell you. It wouldn't be surprising." He smiled slightly, then stood up. "Listen, Lils," He took a deep breath "I want you to know that I love you. I always have, and I always will. Nothing will ever change that," I felt my heart miss a beat. He didn't just like me, he loved me! James Potter loved me! So I hadn't been completely drunk two nights ago after all…Wait. What about Alexis? As if he was reading my thoughts, James continued. "But I also love Alexis." Oh. Well, that put a downer on things.

"So…So, you love me…but…you also love her?" I asked, my voice faultering a little. I couldn't believe this. If I'd have just recognised my feelings sooner, it would be me. It would be me sitting with him at breakfast, laughing at his jokes. It would be me he insists on kissing every single minute, as if he'll die if he didn't…It was all my fault. If I'd just been sooner. Oh, Lily, you are so stupid! I felt tears prick my eyes and I didn't bother wiping them away. He noticed this and reached out for me. "Lils, I'm sorry." "No. No, it doesn't matter. I was just being stupid, right? I obviously wasn't thinking straight. I mean, I could hardly walk that night, let alone know what I was saying." I laughed, but the tears that now fell down my cheeks betrayed me. "I'm just going to go…" I ran up the stairs to my room, not daring to look back. I fell onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow, not bothering to wipe my tears away. I cried myself to sleep that night, my dreams haunted with the feeling of rejection.

**A/N – Ok, not my best work, but I don't think it's my worst, considering I haven't been in the whole writing frame of mind for a while. Anyway, it's very short, I know, but I wanted to get this out there. And, even better, my exams are over, so I'll put this at the top of my to-do list! Ugh, school, doesn't it get in the way of everything? Anyway, let's dedicate this chapter to Hannah Banana. 'Cause Hannah Banana is awesome. And, REVIEW! Seriously, if it wasn't for the reviews from the last chapter I wouldn't have updated this story half as fast as I did. So if you want me to update, review :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N – Thank you to my lovely reviewers, you made my day :) So let's dedicate this chappie to all the people who have reviewed so far, THANK YOU! **

For me, Wednesday mornings are always the worst. Double transfiguration always puts a downer on my day, but what makes it worse is that today, McGonagall decided to put us in pairs. And guess who I got stuck with. Oh yes. Just peachy.

"Today, class, we are vanishing kittens. As this is slightly harder than vanishing mice, I shall give you a demonstration first, then watch you each in turn so you do now make any mistakes and _accidently_," she looked knowingly at Sirius, who grinned at her "transfigure it into a dung bomb." I lazily picked up my wand and stood next to James at the back of the room.

"So…Hogsmeade is coming up again…" James started awkwardly, trying to create a conversation to fill the awkward silence.

"Yeah."

"Are you…are you going with Frank?" Was that jealously I detected?

"I don't know. I guess. I take it you're going with Alexis?" I tried not to make my voice sound too bitter.

"Yeah…" He trailed off. The conversation had ended. Just in time, McGonagall came sweeping up to us.

"Ah, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, well, let's see what you can do." I stared at the cat sat in front of me.

"Evanesco." The cat vanished into thin air.

"Very good, Miss Evans, very good." She flicked her wand and the cat came back. She turned to James and gestured for him to give it a try. Needless to say, James completed the spell perfectly. And got the cat back on his own as well. A smug grin was plastered on his face. Honestly, how was he so perfect and yet so arrogant at the same time?

"Bravo, Mr. Potter!" McGonagall walked briskly over to Sirius and Heather, a pretty Ravenclaw who I knew from Prefect meetings. Whilst she had her back turned, Frank came running over to me.

"Hey Lils!" He gave me a warm smile and I felt awful when I felt my mood drop. Wait…this could work to my advantage…Lily Evans, you are brilliant.

The snow covered the village of Hogsmeade, making it look, for lack of a better word, magical. I shivered under my coat. Where was Frank? I'd been waiting for over twenty minutes now, surely he hadn't forgotten that he had agreed to meet me? Just as I thought this, James and Alexis came through the door out of Honeydukes. He smiled at me slightly when he saw me, and I just noticed Alexis scowl at me before she quickly replaced it with a fake smile. I rolled my eyes at this, and noticed Frank running down the street.

"Lily! I am so sorry, I was busy sorting out an incident with the Slytherin boys. Honestly, they're all too vicious for my liking." He frowned slightly, then looked down at me and smiled a smile that should have made my stomach flip and my heart pound…but it didn't. I saw James disappear into The Three Broomsticks and smiled slyly.

"Hey, Frank, would you mind if we went in The Three Broomsticks for a butter beer first? I'm kid off thirsty." I lied. He grinned at me and began walking over in that direction with me besides him.

"So, I heard the Christmas Ball is coming up." This was what I had been dreading. I really, really didn't want to go with Frank, and if my plan worked I wouldn't have to, but no. He had to bring it up.

"Um, yeah! I've already got the decorations planned. It's going to look beautiful…at least, that's the idea." He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

"Not as beautiful as you, Lily." He mumbled, then slid his hand into mine and carried on walking. Again, my heart should be pounding at this but it didn't. Why? Because it wasn't the person I wanted to do it. Sure, Frank was charming, sweet, understanding and handsome, but let's face it, he was no James. He didn't have the mysterious aspect that James did, nothing that suggested that there could be another side of him that he hadn't shown yet. He was everything I wanted and yet he wasn't. I'd already realised that what I wanted wasn't a traditional fairy tale prince to come and whisk me off on his noble steed. What I wanted, what I _needed_, was a fun-loving prankster to come and whisk me off on a broomstick. And that was exactly what I intended to get.

The Three Broomsticks was _not_ my favourite place in Hogsmeade, not by far, but I needed to make James jealous if my plan was to go ahead. The warmth greeted me welcomingly and I smiled when I noticed James sitting in a booth drinking what I very much hoped was only butterbeer. My smile fell, however, when I saw Alexis cuddled in next to him, grinning stupidly and twirling a long strand of hair around her little finger. Please.

Frank went off to get the drinks and left me to choose a seat. I picked the one right next to James' table. He was too busy snogging Alexis to notice me, however, so I waited for Frank to come back before I made myself known.

"One butterbeer for you…" Frank grinned placing the glass down on the table. I smiled sweetly at him.

"Fraaaannnnkkkkk...I was wondering…no, never mind…" I said a little more loudly than actually necessary.

"Lils, what's up, you know you can tell me anything."

"I was just thinking, are you free tomorrow night? It's just, it's Alice's birthday party and I was wondering whether you wanted to go with me." I smiled when I remembed what had happened when Alice had come to borrow a book from the Heads Dorm yesterday.

_****Flashback****_

"_Liiiillllllyyyyy, where is that book?" Alice asked, coming through the portrait hole. _

"_Hello to you too."_

"_Oh, yeah, hi. But seriously, where is the book?"_

"_Which one?" _

"_The one you bought from Hogsmeade last year. You know, the one about the werewolf!"_

"_Hairy Snout, Human Heart?"_

"_Yeah! That one!" I got up and walked lazily over to the bookcase, pulling the book out and handing it to Alice. She turned around and walked over to the portrait hole, before stopping and looking back at me. "Hey, Lils, can I ask you something?"_

"_Sure, anything."_

"_You and Frank…are you close?" I frowned, then smiled. Alice liked Frank. Maybe this could all work out OK anyway. Frank would love a girl like Alice. Nobody would get hurt. _

"_Well…not really. I mean, kind of. I don't know, maybe? He just doesn't seem right for me, you know?" Alice's face brightened up a little in hope. "Why do you ask?"_

"_Oh, no reason, just wonder-"_

"_Do you like Frank?" I interrupted, smiling. _

"_Well...y-yeah. Maybe. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" I laughed, shaking my head._

"_You'd be great together. _

"_W-w-what?"_

"_You would. He's a great guy."_

"_I know." Alice grinned sheepishly. _

****Flashback over****

**A/N - :O Lily's getting sneaky! So whatcha think? I tried not to make it look like she was using Alice or Frank, although she kind of is…But anyway! Review and tell me what you think, I'd love to hear your opinions. And who knows? If I get a good response for this chapter I may update on Thursday, since I've got a day off from school. We shall see, but to make it certain, REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N – So, it's been a while, but it hasn't been too long, has it? Ah, the power of reivews. Speaking of reviews, thank you to my wonderful reviewers, you've made my day :)**

I woke up on early on Sunday morning. Now, you may be thinking 'So what?' The thing is, I am most definitely not a morning person. But Sunday Mornings meant a Quidditch game. And a Quidditch game meant James. Besides, it was quite a big game today, or so I'd heard. Gryffindor Vs. Slytherin in a match that would decide who won the cup. I, however, could not be more bothered about Quidditch, only the incredible Gryffindor Captain who was obsessed with it.

"LILY EVANS!" I popped my head out from my hiding place under my bed as Alice yelled my name. She spotted me and made a grab for my head, just as I dodged back in.

"But Alice!" I whined, coming out from under the other side, away from Alice.

"No buts. This is the final, you are going and you are going to wear this and look fabulous." She gestured to the green summer dress hanging on my wardrobe.

"Fine. But I don't really understand why."

"Because James' can't resist a Lily in green." She smirked, turning back to the mirror.

"W-what? I don't know what you are talking about." I stuttered, shocked.

"Oh, come on. We all know you luurrrrvvveee him." Marlene sniggered, hoping of her bed, discarding the magazine she had been reading.

"I DO NOT!" I exclaimed, although I was painfully aware of the blush creeping up onto my cheeks.

"Yes, you do." Emmeline piped in .

"No, I don't."

"Lily, listen," Alice began, sitting down next to me on my bed. "There is no point hiding it. All of us know. You don't like Frank. You went out with him because you thought he was what you wanted but he isn't, is he? That's why your setting me up with him tonight. Now, be honest. If Frank isn't what you want, then who is? James. And don't you dare try and hide it." She cut me off as I was opening my mouth to object. And, to my dismay. She was right. But I wasn't going to let her know that.

"Alice. I swear, I do not like that arrogant, bullying toe rag and I never will. I'm setting you up with Frank because you deserve him, and he deserves a girl like you." I felt bad for lying to her on her birthday, but if my plan was to work I couldn't risk everyone knowing. Not just yet, anyway. Alice looked doubtful, but had obviously decided she wasn't going to get anything out of me.

"Ok, Lily, I believe you. But you're still going to wear this dress." She handed it to me, then went into the bathroom, presumably to find her other makeup bag. Emmeline and Marlene had begun gossiping again, so I quietly pulled the curtains around my bed shut, slipped on the dress and sneaked out of the room, before Alice could come back and question where I was going. After all, breakfast didn't start for another hour and we were all supposed to be going down to the lake for a bit in around fifteen minutes. This was plenty of time for what I wanted to do. I ran through the corridors, all the way back to the Head's dorm. I'd gone to my old dorm to get ready over an hour ago, but had spent most of the time chatting with my friends. Slipping through the portrait hole, there was no sign of James. I grabbed some spare parchment and a quill off the table and scribbled a note. I left it on James' desk, where he would see it. I pondered whether what I'd put was right for a little while, then decided it was fine. Going back down the corridors, I repeated the words over and over again in my head.

'_James, met me after the match in the changing rooms, when everyone is gone. It's __urgent__.' _

Yes, this could work.

"AND SIRIUS SWINGS THE BAT AND – OUCH! THAT'S GOTTA HURT! HE'S HIT MALFOY STRAIGHT IN THE GUT! NICE JOB PADFOOT!" Remus' voice boomed out from unseen speakers. Sirius shot a grin at him, then flew round the pitch in a sort of victory lap. I rolled my eyes. Trust Black to rub it in. But the attention didn't stay on him for long, because less than a minute after, Remus yelled into the microphone once again.

"AND LOOK AT THAT! ADAMS' ALMOST GOT THE SNITCH! COME ON, COME ON, MOVE! AND – YES! HE'S GOT IT! ADAM'S GOT THE SNITCH! GRYFINDOR HAVE WON THE CUP! YES, YES, YES! COME ON GRYFINDORS! Oh, and bad luck, Slytherins, maybe next year…perhaps…" He continued to scream about Gryfindor for a while, but he hadn't yet noticed what was happening on the side of the pitch. But I had. In fact, most people had. And the noise stopped. Everyone went completely silent, and all you could hear was Alexis screaming. Yes, you heard me right. Alexis was screaming. At James.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, POTTER!" She screeched, her face going red with anger.

"IT WAS A MISTAKE, OK! IF YOU WEREN'T SO FRIKIN' UPTIGHT ALL OF THE TIME –"

"UPTIGHT? UPTIGHT? YOU'RE CALLING ME UPTIGHT! HOW DARE YOU!" And she slapped him. And I mean, really slapped him. And I had the sudden urge to slap her. She stalked off the pitch, her friends all crowding round. I looked back at James, only to see he was looking straight at me. He smiled when he saw me looking back at him, then turned to Black and the moment was gone. But Alexis's words were ringing in my ears. What had happened that made her so angry?

I just about remembered the note I had left for James as I was entering the castle.

"Shit!" I yelled, then turned on my heel and ran back down the path, hoping he hadn't left. I peered around the door of the changing rooms. After I was convinced nobody was in there and I wasn't going to get any…nasty surprises, I slipped in, closing the door silently behind me. I crept around the room, wondering where James could be. I hadn't seen him leave, but maybe he had left the other way. Then I heard singing drifting from the shower room. Smiling, I crept closer. That was definitely James's voice, alright. I sat down on the benches, waiting for him to come out.

"Oh, Lils! Hey!" He ran a hand through his hair so it looked, if possible, even more sexy.

"Um..hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I…I left a note for you saying I was coming…"

"That was you? Sorry, I thought it was…never mind. Anyway, what was this urgent thing you needed to talk about?"

"Well…um…see, the thing is James…I….you know what? It doesn't matter." I got up to leave, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him.

"Hang on. I need to talk to you, anyway. About what you saw after the game."

"Are you…are you over, then? You and Alexis?"

"Well, yeah, I think so. Well, I very much hope so, because if we weren't I really shouldn't be doing this."

Then he kissed me.

**A/N – So, whatcha think? I, personally, loved this chapter. It was pretty fun to write, and YAY! ALEXIS IS GONE! Well, kind of. She's going to make an appearance in the next chapter, but only a short one, although it will be an important one. So hold on, she'll be gone before you know it. Whilst your waiting for that, why don't you spend some time REVIEWING THIS CHAPTER!**

**R**

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	12. Chapter 12

**A/N – A massive thank you to my reviewers! I love seeing alerts from reviews :) Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to my gorgeous mates, I love you! **

My plan was completely messed up. It was supposed to be simple. Make James as jealous as possible, then, at Alice's birthday party, you'd set Alice up with Frank and finally get James. Yeah, that wasn't going to work. Because here I am, supposedly going out with a guy that should be perfect for me but isn't, and at the same time making out with an incredibly handsome quidditch-obsessed guy who I swore only last year that I would never go out with. And I was enjoying it. Then the changing room door opened.

"Oi, James, come on…Oh." Sirius yelled, bursting through into the room, almost knocking over one of the benches. Remus, peter and -oh no- Frank filled in behind him. "Well, this is awkward." Sirius grinned, running a hand through his hair. Honestly, did they all do that? I looked over at Frank after untangling my fingers from James' hair. His expression was a mixture of hurt, confusion and…oops. Anger. Maybe an unlocked changing room wasn't the best place to make out after all.

"Lils? What's going on here?" Frank asked, coming over to stand in front of me and James.

"Well, it's actually quite a funny story…" I laughed nervously.

"Oh? Really? Because from here it looked more dirty romance than comedy." He said flatly, turning on his heel and leaving. Remus and Peter followed him out, probably to convince him it was all just some big misunderstanding. James collapsed onto the bench behind us, with Sirius sitting down on the other side. He had his head in his hands. He looked up at me, but I turned away. This was all my fault.

"I'm just going to go apologise..." I ran out, leaving Sirius with James. I ran up the hill to where Frank was lying back on the grass. There was no sign of Remus or Peter.

"Hey." I whispered, sitting down next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Why did you do it? I really liked you, Lils. I didn't have you down as a cheater."

"Neither did I." He snorted, sitting up. "I'm sorry." I repeated, not being able to think of anything else to say. I didn't regret anything I'd done, of course not. And I'm pretty sure I never would.

"You know? I don't think it was going to work out anyway, was it?"

"I don't think so, no." He sighed, then looked at me curiously.

"Do you want to know a secret?" He smiled.

"Sure."

"I thought as much. See, I was thinking last night. And the thing is, when I pictured my future...it wasn't you I was standing next to."

"Was it Alice?"

"How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." I grinned, standing up and making to leave, before turning back. "Oh, and Frank?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we ok?" He thought for a minute.

"It wouldn't have worked out...and I would have done the same with Alice, so…sure."

"Awesome. And about Alice…go for it." I smiled, heading back up to the castle, leaving a very confused Frank sitting on the grass.

"5 minutes, girls!" I called from behind my closed curtains.

"Shut up! You know telling me the time makes me rush! I need to look _perfect._" Alice shouted from inside the bathroom.

"Oh, yes, because Frank will completely go off her if her mascara isn't _perfect._" Marlene teased, finally putting her stupid magazine away.

"Ok, finished. And no need to be so sarcastic." She grinned, shooting a look at Marlene and coming over to open my curtains and drag me from my homework, which I was desperately trying to cram in.

"Finally!" Emmeline sighed dramatically, coming over to us. "Everybody ready?"

"Yup, let's go." Alice beamed, eager to go down to her party.

"Oh my Merlin." Alice gasped, running down the stairs as fast as she could with heels on. I rolled me eyes. It wasn't _that_ good. Multi-coloured balloons floated close to the ceiling, and rainbow coloured sparks feel gracefully down from the ceiling to the carpet, fizzing out gently if they touched a surface. A large banner hung above the fireplace, reading 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALICE!' with barely readable writing at the bottom reading 'I didn't get a gift, but I bought some firewhisky. No need to thank me.' Sirius, no doubt. Did that boy never stop drinking the stuff? A large buffet lined the back wall, and a disco ball hung from the ceiling and the latest magical world hits blasted out from unseen speakers. Many people were already there and it seemed that the party was in full swing. They all turned towards us when they heard Alice screaming. I looked around for James and saw him sitting with Sirius near the buffet, holding a glass of butterbeer and balancing on the arm of the chair. I blushed when I saw him staring back at me. We all separated at the bottom of the stairs, Emmeline and Marlene no doubt going to gossip with the other girls, who were huddled in the corner, giggling madly. Alice went of the chat to some of her Ravenclaw friends, and I smiled slightly when I saw Frank go over to her. Which just left me. With nothing else to do, I made my way over to where James was sitting, only to find he wasn't there.

"Hey, beautiful." I jumped when I heard someone's voice behind me and grinned when James' arms wrapped around me. I turned to face him, my green eyes sparkling.

"You don't look so bad yourself." I whispered, my lips inches away from his and coming closer.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY BOYFRIEND!" We sprung apart and I spun around, only to be greeted with a rather amusing sight. Alexis was standing there, her face a deep red and she was clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Sorry to break it to you, hun, but he's not going out with you anymore." I smiled, turning back to James, only for her to continue with her tirade.

"YES HE IS! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT WE ARGUED IN THE FIRST PLACE! IF YOU WOULD HAVE JUST STOPPED TRYING TO FREAKIN SEDUCE HIM –"

"Sorry, seduce him? It was nobody's fault but your own that he broke up with you, Alexis. Now why don't you go back to your dorm and calm down?" I said calmly, trying to hold back a laugh.

"CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! THIS IS YOUR FAULT! ALL OF IT! YOU KNEW BLOODY WELL HE WAS MINE, YOU SLUT!" And she walked right up to me and slapped me hard across the cheek, then flicked her hair, spun back around on her heel and left, leaving me with a stinging cheek and a room full of staring seventh years.

**A/N – So there's the twelth chapter! I couldn't settle on how to write it, so I went for this route. Like it? Love it? Hate it? There's only one way I can find out! REVIEW! I takes less than a minute but makes my whole day :)**

**P.S. There is a link on my profile page to the girls' dresses, check it out :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N – I apologise for the very, very long wait. Blame it on my rather temperamental laptop. Luckily I had all the chapters on my memory stick, so I didn't lose anything. Anyway, I'm going to stop moaning and let you read :)**

"Lils? Are you alright?" James asked, coming to my side and looking at the mark, concerned.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Merlin, she's insane." He chuckled a little at this, then pulled out his wand and muttered a spell. The pain and mark gradually faded away, and people turned away, going back to whatever they were doing before. I thanked James and snuggled back down beside him on the sofa, watching the drunken partygoers make a fool of themselves with amusement. Alice stumbled over, a glass of champagne in hand. I smiled when I noticed Frank's hand on her waist, even though they had both clearly drunk a little too much. She cleared her throat a little.

"Uh…t-t-thank you for the pwarty…l-lilykins." She swooped down and pulled me into a hug and I smiled a little. That is, until she began to make noises as though she was about to throw up, at which point I pushed her away gently.

"I think you need to find a toilet, Alice." She nodded a little, and pulled a bemused Frank along with her by the arm. I smirked when I noticed she was heading up the staircase to her dorm, rather than to the bathroom. Emmeline and Marlene were nowhere to be seen, either. I looked up when James stood up, offering me his hand.

"Dance?" I shook my head rapidly, cowering away. "Aww. Lilykins doesn't like to dance?" Again, I shook my head. "Oh well." He lifted me up off the sofa and over his shoulder, walking towards the dance floor. He laughed when I started hitting his back with my fists, as though it didn't hurt in the slightest. He dropped me in the middle of the dancing crowd and pulled me close to him. I rolled my eyes when the music changed to a slow song. The dancers disbanded and were replaced by grinning couples, all with eyes only for their partner. I suddenly felt a little out of place. He didn't seem to mind, if anything, he pulled me closer. We stayed like that for a while, dancing slowly in time to the music, and I gradually started to relax. He put his hand under my chin and tilted it up gently, looking into my eyes with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

"Your beautiful. You know that?" I blushed a little and shook my head.

"Liar." It was his turn to shake his head.

"You don't know how perfect you are." He smiled and my heart speed up, my heartbeat becoming so loud that I could of sworn he heard it.

"Neither do you."

"Oh, really? I could of sworn that just last year you were insulting me, telling me I wasn't nearly as amazing as I thought I was. Why the change of heart, Lily?" He leaned closer. I pretended to think for a minute.

"I didn't think you were my knight in shining armour. Evidently, I was wrong. Romance isn't like it is in the books, is it?" He shrugged.

"I don't know about that." He leaned down and put his lips to mine. It wasn't like our other kisses. It was softer, slower, more meaningful. I smiled against his lips, putting my hands around his neck and playing with his hair. He pulled away slowly, still grinning.

"Lily Evans, would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?" I nodded, then pulled my lips back to his. Yes, James Potter was definitely my prince.

**A/N – And the rest was history! So that was the last chapter (very short, I know), I'd love to know what you think :)**

**I've already got another story in the pipeline, another Lily and James one, of course, but not canon. Look out for it :)**

**Finally, REVIEW!**


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